Hosted at the UN House in Brussels, the programme opened with remarks from UNDP Brussels Deputy Director Georges van Montfort and Armenia’s Ambassador to the EU, Tigran Balayan—signalling Armenia’s strategic intent to use its COP17 presidency to accelerate global action on nature. A recorded message from an Indigenous community representative further anchored the discussions in lived experience.

Armenia’s Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister, Robert Abisoghomonyan, delivered the keynote address. His intervention underscored Armenia’s responsibility as COP17 host to steer the international community through the midpoint review of the 2030 biodiversity agenda. He highlighted Armenia’s ambition to turn the conference into a platform for aligning political will, advancing the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction agreement, and driving tangible progress on global biodiversity targets.

Armenia’s COP17 Presidency Shapes the Debate

The first panel, featuring representatives from the European Commission, Wetlands International Europe, France Nature Environnement, and WWF International, examined early implementation of revised national biodiversity strategies. While assessments varied, several speakers pointed to the importance of COP17 as an opportunity—under Armenia’s presidency—to translate planning into demonstrable action.

Discussions frequently returned to the question of how Armenia’s leadership could help build coherence between global commitments and practical delivery, especially in areas such as restoration, monitoring, and private-sector engagement.

Finance as a Key Priority for Yerevan

The second panel, focused on biodiversity finance, also underscored Armenia’s central role. Led by UNDP’s BIOFIN team, the session outlined global financing gaps and explored tools that could feature prominently on the COP17 agenda: green and blue bonds, carbon markets, insurance schemes, and national biodiversity finance plans. UNDP’s Onno van den Heuvel, alongside representatives from UNCDF and UNEP’s Brussels Office, emphasised that Yerevan will be expected to provide clarity on how to mobilise and deploy capital at scale.

As the host country, Armenia is positioned to guide a wide-ranging conversation on aligning public budgets, private investment, and innovative finance mechanisms—an area where consensus will be critical to meeting the GBF’s 23 global targets.

Armenia’s Profile Rises Ahead of 2026

The event closed with a reception featuring Armenian cuisine and traditional drinks, reinforcing the cultural dimension of Armenia’s role and offering informal space for diplomatic engagement. Senior figures from UN institutions and the EU—such as UNEP Brussels Head Veronika Hunt Šafránková, European Commission advisor Hans Stielstra, and UNDP Brussels Director Camilla Brückner—took part, reflecting the high level of attention to Armenia’s chairmanship of COP17.

As preparations intensify, one theme stood out in Brussels: Armenia is not merely hosting the next COP. It is using the opportunity to shape the global conversation, set priorities for the decade’s most decisive biodiversity summit, and elevate its role as a regional and global actor on environmental policy.

Olha Pashchenko. Journalist of EU Reflect